Photo of Weasel ‘Riding’ Flying Woodpecker Goes Viral

A photo of a weasel hitching a surprise lift on the back of a flying woodpecker near London has gone viral on Twitter, with more than 7,000 users retweeting the original post of the image.

It was first posted by photographer Jason Ward on Monday and credited to Martin Le-May.

After #WeaselPecker gained momentum, British media soon picked up the story, and television channel ITV interviewed Le-May.

The amateur photographer from Essex, near London, told the broadcaster he had been walking with his wife in Hornchurch Country Park, Essex, when they heard “a distressed squawking” noise and spotted the woodpecker.

“Just after I switched from my binoculars to my camera the bird flew across us and slightly in our direction; suddenly it was obvious it had a small mammal on its back and this was a struggle for life,” Le-May said.

Eventually, Le-May told ITV, the weasel — known as a “least weasel” in some countries — lost its grip and the bird flew away.